Bucks star Damian Lillard explains why ‘excitement kicked in’ after blockbuster trade

MILWAUKEE — It’s no secret that Damian Lillard sought after to be traded to the Miami Heat. Instead, he was once traded to the Milwaukee Bucks, and whilst the 2 organizations will have introduced equivalent alternatives to win, Milwaukee is, properly, now not Miami. It has been simply as heat outdoor in fresh days, alternatively, and the well-timed early October warmth wave has helped persuade Lillard that the Midwest will not be so unhealthy. 

“Every time I’ve been to Milwaukee over the course of my career I just stay in my hotel the whole time because it’s snowing or something like that,” Lillard mentioned. “Seeing the sun out and being by the water and stuff like that, it made me smile a little bit like, man this could be all right.”

It was once 83 levels and sunny as Lillard stepped to the rostrum at media day on Monday, the very same temperature as Miami. But whilst the great climate has been an added bonus, there have been way more essential elements in Lillard’s acceptance of a transfer to the Bucks, particularly the power to compete for a championship and play with two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. 

Lillard mentioned that his agent, Aaron Goodwin, first broached the potential for a Bucks trade two weeks in the past, and he spoke back he would “definitely” have an interest. He did not imagine it could in reality occur, alternatively, till Goodwin known as him on Sept. 28 and he may listen the seriousness in his voice. Lillard admitted that he began to “panic” just a little as soon as the truth hit him, partially as a result of he could not get ahold of any of his members of the family or pals and simply had to sit down with the news by way of himself. 

But that point by myself allowed him to assemble his ideas. 

“I started thinking about the team, like who did I get traded for? Like who’s gonna be there,” Lillard mentioned. “Then I looked it up and I saw what kind of team I was coming to be a part of. And that’s when the excitement kicked in. Just recognizing the opportunity that it is. Knowing how much I want to win and going into every season being optimistic and thinking that we have a chance to get it done, and then coming into this situation and knowing that you got an opportunity to do it. The excitement definitely kicked in when I sat with it for a little bit.”

The Bucks were a name contender for each and every of the former 5 seasons, and received all of it in 2021, on account of Antetokounmpo. That’s who Lillard named in May of 2022 when a fan requested Lillard on Twitter if he may select one present participant to staff up with. 

Now, it is a fact. 

“Playing with somebody like Giannis, the kind of attention he’s gonna get is only gonna make the game easier and more simple for me,” Lillard mentioned. “I think the way that I impose myself when I play and how I attack games, he’s gonna have the kind of opportunity that he hasn’t had as well. The best thing I can tell you is how exciting it’s gonna be, how excited I am.”

The Bucks, who crashed out of the playoffs within the first spherical ultimate season, were put in as the early making a bet favorites to win the 2024 name. That’s a brand new enjoy for Lillard, who hasn’t ever performed on a staff with authentic championship aspirations. 

As he left the rostrum and moved to the photograph portion of media day, he summed all of it up whilst posing along Antetokounmpo, Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez. 

“I ain’t never been in no photo like this, man.”